Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
1 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15434 by Cathy Jamieson on 14 April 2005, what costs have been incurred by the Scottish Prison Service for visits to HM Prison Kilmarnock.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>This information is not available.</p>
1 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many payments it has made in the last five years to Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited, Premier Prison Services Ltd and Premier Custodial Group Ltd and whether it will provide the (a) date, (b) amount and (c) description of each of these payments.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Payments are made in line with the published contract which is on the SPS website at <ahref="http://www.sps.gov.uk/keydocs/reliance/…
1 Jun 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16439 by Cathy Jamieson on 25 May 2005, what actions it has taken to ensure that Premier Custodial Group Ltd has implemented Sheriff Croans recommendations and whether those recommendations have been implemented.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>None. Such decisions are a matterfor the company who have said that they have implemented the recommendations asindicated in my response to…
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current throughput of modern apprenticeships is (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) area and (ii) subject.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The current completion rate for modern apprentices is 55% and since their inception in 1995, more than 34,500 have successfully completed their training. As for the breakdown by area and subject, this is an operational matter for the enterprise networks. The …
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of modern apprenticeship trainees have completed a skills test in each of the last three years.
Answer · Allan Wilson: This is an operational matter for the Enterprise Networks. The information is not held centrally.</p>
31 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of the Education (Publication and Consultation etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 1981, what the (a) definition and (b) interpretation is of (i) a change of site for a school, (ii) a new school and (iii) delineation of an area and which of the regulations in Schedule 1 relate t…
Answer · Peter Peacock: “Change of site” and “new school” are not defined in the Regulations. “Delineated area” is defined in the regulations as “that part of the area of an education authority from which pupils resident therein will be admitted to the school in terms of any priorit…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people of ethnic minority origin are currently employed in the delivery of the Business Gateway programme.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-16923 on 6 June 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by what means people who have been wrongfully convicted can claim compensation; how many applications for compensation there are at each stage of the application process, and how long on average applicants have been waiting for their applications to be processed.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Section 133 of the Criminal JusticeAct 1988 provides that Scottish ministers shall pay compensation in cases wherea conviction is reversed on the ground that a new or newly discovered fact showsbeyond reasonable doubt that there has been a miscarriage of just…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people of ethnic minority origin are involved in delivering the Business Gateway.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The delivery of Business Gatewayis managed by Scottish Enterprise on behalf of partners. Details of the number ofethnic minority staff supporting this role is therefore an operational matter forthe Scottish Enterprise Network. </p><p>Scottish Enterprise’scomm…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15757 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 May 2005, who took the decision to amalgamate Wishaw and Hairmyres histopathology units and when this decision was taken.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I regret that theinformation about NHS Lanarkshire in my answer to question S2W-15757 answeredon 3 May 2005 was incorrect. No decision has been taken by NHSLanarkshire about the future of Wishaw and Hairmyres histopathology units. Iunderstand that the matter …
30 May 2005 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will establish a budget office in the Parliament to provide an independent assessment of Executive financial estimates.
Answer · George Reid: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has not consideredestablishing a budget office in the Parliament to provide an independentassessment of Executive financial estimates.</p><p>Suchassessment is already provided by the Finance Committee, whose remit, un…
30 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Justice will reply to my letter of 21 April 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: A response to your letter of21 April 2005 was issued on 1 June 2005.</p>
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Her Majesty's Government pays rates on buildings and land that it rents or owns in Scotland and, if so, how much revenue this generates annually for the Executive and Scottish local authorities.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Government departments pay rates on the buildings they occupy. Information is not held centrally by the Scottish Executive on the rates paid by UK Government Departments for the buildings they occupy in Scotland. In 2004-05, the total amount of non domestic r…
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the range and quality of statistics that it collects in relation to the performance of the economy.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There is an on-going programme of quality improvement for economic statistics within the Executive. For example, there is a continuous development programme in place for the quarterly GDP index, and there are initiatives to further improve exports statistics.…
19 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the procedure is for authorising visits to HM Prison Kilmarnock and, in particular, what the roles are in the approval process of (a) the Scottish Prison Service and (b) Premier Prison Services.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Visits are permitted at the discretion of the Director of HM Prison Kilmarnock, who may consult SPS if he considers it necessary.</p>
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it would consider an MSP representing the constituency in which HM Prison Kilmarnock is located as a "properly interested body", as defined in paragraph 29.1 of Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, C…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>No, Section 29 of the <i>Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the De…
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it gave prior written approval of the training given by instructors to new employees shown in the BBC documentary on HM Prison Kilmarnock, broadcast on 9 March 2005.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>I refer the member to Schedule D of the contract with Premier Prison Services, which can be found at <ahref="http://www.sps.gov.uk/keydocs…
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what written notices it has issued under paragraph 27.7 of Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock to "require the Contractor to remove any perso…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>None.</p>
17 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15246 by Euan Robson on 12 April 2005, what the estimated total cost to local authorities of free school meals was in each of the five years prior to 1999-2000.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Executive does not have data on actual expenditure by local authorities (LA) on free school meals. However, using data available on the gross expenditure by local authorities on school meals and the total number of meals provided, we are able to establish…
13 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16157 by Cathy Jamieson on 12 May 2005, whether it will provide a list of (a) invitees, (b) attendees, (c) MSPs in attendance and (d) MSPs who were invited to each media conference.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Scottish Executive Press Office sends on behalf of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) a general invitation to national and local media outlets to attend HMCIP media conferences. A record of who attends from the media on each occasion is not routinely held …
13 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15713 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 May 2005, what percentage of category A (life threatening) calls were answered by an ambulance within eight minutes and what its target rate is for such responses.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The target set for the ambulance service is that, by March 2008, 75% of Category A (life threatening) calls will receive a response within eight minutes. In April 2005, the service achieved performance of 60.2%, up from 54.3% in the corresponding month a year…
13 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15713 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 May 2005, what evidence it has to indicate that "the reduction in performance in some areas, especially those with sizeable urban conurbations, may be seen as an indicator of the progress the Scottish Ambulance Service is m…
Answer · Andy Kerr: Ambulance service figures provided in the answer to question S2W-16528, answered on 25 May 2005, show that in the period since August 2002, when the priority based dispatch system was first introduced, the number of GP urgent calls has fallen substantially – …
13 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-15713 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 May 2005, how many urgent requests for an ambulance were made by GPs in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05 and, of these, how many were met within an hour of the request being made, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is set out in these tables:</p> <p>GP Urgent Calls for 2002-03</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Health Board</p></td> <td> <p align=center>Total GP Urgent Calls With An Agreed 1 …
12 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16176 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 May 2005, whether HM Chief Inspector of Prisons will revert to the policy of his predecessor of allowing MSPs to attend his press conferences and of issuing his reports and news releases to MSPs at the same time as he iss…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The Chief Inspector is satisfied that the current arrangements allow for transparent and open reporting of his findings. Embargoed reports for relevant MSPs are sent out the day before the report is published.</p>
11 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to implement recommendations made by Sheriff Croan in his fatal accident report of November 2004 in respect of the appointment of designated watch officers in prisons.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>Sheriff Croan’s determination in the fatal accident inquiry related to Premier Custodial Group Ltd., not to the Scottish Prison Serv…
11 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16252 by Cathy Jamieson on 11 May 2005, what the timetable is for HM Chief Inspector of Prisons to finalise his plansto inspect the conditions in which prisoners are transported or held in pursuance of prisoner escort arrangements.
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost per prisoner has been in each (a) prison and (b) young offenders institution in each of the last three years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>A total cost per prisoner for each public prison is not available as there are a number of significant costs which are met centrally…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget has been of each (a) prison and (b) young offenders institution for each of the last three years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>Information on local budgetsfor 2004-05 are:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> <…
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost per prisoner place has been in each (a) prison and (b) young offenders institution in each of the last three years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p>It is not possible to provide a cost per prisoner place for each public prison as there are a number of significant costs which are …
10 May 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how may incidents of refusals to undergo a mandatory drug test there have been in each (a) prison and (b) young offenders institution in each of the last three years.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The information for 2003-04 is:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p align=center> </p> </td> …